I'll Keep You Company
by P-tchsB-tchJackFrost
Summary: One shot fluff piece for one of my chibis. Slight tie in to "That's Mine".


For my Chibi Erwin. One Shot.

A crashing sound woke Erwin Smith from his sleep, well before his alarm. He groaned and closed his eyes as tight as he could, slowly pulling himself up. ". . . Damn it, Levi!" he snapped and threw the blankets off his legs. Before he could stand, he felt a familiar weight in his lap. He wasn't as quick as he used to be and having only one arm certainly didn't help with that.

"Meow~!" The cat he'd had for five years nuzzled his chest as if he were happy that Erwin was awake.

Erwin strokes the cat and sighs, unable to stay angry. "Levi… you're such a brat cat." The feline responded with a purr and Erwin couldn't help but wonder if what Hanji had told him was right. She'd said that Levi Cat would act up and wake him every time he started having a nightmare. He gently stroked the cat's fur and allowed himself a soft smile.

This little brat had been a pain in his ass since Mike got him. Erwin remembered that day rather well.

*****

Levi Ackerman sat in the chair in front of Erwin's desk, arms crossed, steel glare in place. He only uncrossed his arms to take a sip of his tea. Eren Yeager had just become a proud member of the Survey Corps, and Levi had been there to deliver a progress report to his commander. Mike walked through the door, holding a large box with an ornate green bow nestled on top. He hadn't bothered knocking, as he and Erwin were engaged to be married, he didn't think the intrusion would bother Erwin.

"What's in the box?" Levi asks, a little perturbed about being interrupted. Erwin hid his grin from Levi and got to his feet, taking the box when it was offered to him. No sooner had the box touched down at his desk did the lid pop off. Tiny paws gripped the lip of the box and the kitten popped its head out, meowing loudly, happy to say hello.

The kitten was mostly white, except for brown stripes that oddly matched the placement of their uniform straps, and brown boots on the kitten's back paws. Erwin chuckled to himself and pulled the tiny creature from the box that probably could have held three or four kittens his size. "Thank you, Mike," Erwin set the kitten down on his desk after examining the gender. "He's precious."

Mike gave a silent nod, sniffed, and finally smiled. "What are you gonna call him?"

Just then, all of Erwin's carefully organized papers were swept off the desk and spilled onto the ground like a basket of feathers. Erwin turned, "Levi!" he snapped, glaring at the diminutive captain. He'd figured this had been his way of rebelling for being ignored. Instead, the kitten sat where the stack of papers had been, grooming himself. The captain simply pointed at the cat; expression unchanged.

"Levi it is." Mike smirked, enjoying the joke.

The captain scoffed and made his way out the door. "Whatever. Find me when you're done."

Both older men laughed and shook their heads. Erwin made his way to the desk and scooped up the kitten, petting the top of his head with two fingers. "Seriously, though… Thank you. I wasn't expecting this today. I thought you had plans with Hanji."

Mike shook his head and sniffled again. "She helped me pick him out." Best wingman ever. Hanji had always supported their relationship and did her best to help keep it alive.

Time passed slowly in the raging fight against the Titan scourge, but from that point on, at least Erwin had a fluffy friend to keep him company whenever Mike had to fight. Every time Erwin would worry, kitty Levi would push something over, break something, or jump with all his might to land on Erwin's back, claws out. It was almost as if it were keeping tabs on him for Mike – at least, that's how Hanji liked to see it.

She noticed the trend and took notes on when the cat would act out, delivering her findings to the commander as if it were an actual mission report. She was pleased to find that it worked the other way around as well. Erwin would go out, Mike would go even quieter than usual, and shortly after, he'd find himself with a kitten attached the back of his leg. Kitty Levi even went so far as to get a little jealous when the two would reunite; pushing his way between them and being more affectionate than usual. Both men would chuckle and stroke their baby before sharing a gentle kiss.

Days turned to months, and their baby grew. He loved them, and they loved him and each other; and when the time came to marry, the young cat got to carry the rings. Things continued as they always had. Mike would go out, Erwin would worry, Levi would distract him until Mike came back safely… until one day, he didn't. Levi's tiny cat paws weren't enough to distract Erwin after that. He scooped up the cat and held it as he'd cry himself to sleep. That felt like so long ago. With Mike gone, Erwin cherished the four-legged baby that much more, and he still wore his ring.

Erwin groaned softly, cradling the cat in his arm as he stood. Today would be the day they'd set off to discover what waits for them in the basement of Eren's childhood home. Truthfully, Erwin was a bit worried for Captain Levi. He'd never seen him get as close to anyone as he had to Eren, but at least he could remain professional. This was the part Erwin hated most – waiting for the alarm, knowing he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep.

At least he still had kitty Levi to keep him company. Most mornings, like this one, Erwin would lose himself in petting the cat and remembering Mike's soft, gentle smile. The alarm woke him from his daydreams, and he smiled at Hanji when she came in to help him put on the straps of his uniform.

They rode off, in formation and on time. Erwin had intended to push straight through, but something strange caught his eye. He pulled the reigns of his horse and slowed to a stop, dismounting as the rest of the scouts sped past him. He'd noticed a part of the wall had taken on an opalescent glow. Slowly, he approached and found there was a door handle. It was odd, finding a door along the wall, but he opened it slowly. An entire town stretched out before his eyes; but this town was not his own or any that he'd ever known. He was going to shut the door and continue with the mission, but something caught his eye. Mike stood six feet from the door, smiling softly, arms stretched out wide.

Later, Erwin would find out from Captain Levi that this place was another dimension, but in that moment, he didn't care what it was, or how it came to be. He rushed into the outstretched arms of the man he'd missed so much. "It's okay now…" Mike told him, tenderly holding him close. "I'll keep you company."


End file.
